The lineup for NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 is now almost fully set with 18 of the 20 entrants confirmed.
NJPW has announced that junior heavyweight mainstays KUSHIDA and Ryusuke Taguchi will be participating in this year’s tournament. Along with that, Dragon Gate wrestler Hyo has been added to the list of entrants as he makes his official NJPW debut.
KUSHIDA and Taguchi are both former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions and BOSJ winners, with KUSHIDA having won the tournament in 2015 and 2017 and Taguchi winning in 2012.
Though this is Hyo’s NJPW debut, he won the promotion’s bodybuilding contest in 2025. He’s a two-time Open the Brave Gate Champion, which is Dragon Gate’s version of a junior heavyweight title.
BOSJ 2026 begins on May 14 and runs through June 7. The final two entrants, along with the block lineups, are set to be revealed this Saturday at NJPW Sakura Genesis. A title shot will be awaiting the BOSJ winner — if current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI does not win the tournament himself.
It was announced that Taguchi suffered wounds to his face, hands, and knees in the accident along with injuring his neck. Because of that, he’ll no longer be competing at NJPW’s events that are taking place from April 20 through May 4. Most of those are shows on the Road to Wrestling Dontaku tour. Taguchi is also missing Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni and both nights of Wrestling Dontaku 2024.
NJPW’s announcement included the following statement from Taguchi:
Hello to all 69 of my fans across Japan. Although I can’t remember the exact accident due to my concussion, I apparently fell off my bicycle while swerving to avoid a dog. I will rest, recover and be back better than ever!
At the shows he’s missing, Taguchi will be replaced in his matches by:
April 20 & April 22: Shoma Kato
April 23: Katsuya Murashima
April 25 & April 26: Hiroyoshi Tenzan
April 29: Tomoaki Honma
April 30: Katsuya Murahshima
May 1: Shoma Kato
May 3 & 4: Tiger Mask
Taguchi is scheduled to be one of the participants in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament that begins on May 11. Over his career, Taguchi has competed in the tournament 20 times and won it once.
A change has been made to NJPW’s next IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match.
Champions Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask will now defend their IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles in a four-way match at NJPW’s New Year’s Golden Series show this Saturday (February 19). It will be Eagles & Tiger Mask vs. Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru.
The match was originally set to be Eagles & Tiger Mask defending against Ishimori & Phantasmo, but the other two teams were added after challenges that were issued at Sunday’s New Year’s Golden Series show.
Eagles & Tiger Mask have been IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions since winning the titles from Desperado & Kanemaru last October.
Saturday’s New Year’s Golden Series event is the second-to-last stop on the tour. The tour will conclude with shows in Sapporo on both Saturday and Sunday. Both shows are airing live on NJPW World.
Here’s the updated lineup for Saturday’s event:
IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi defends against SANADA
IWGP Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defend against EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi
Four-way match: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask defend against Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato, and El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Kazuchika Okada, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata vs. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
Tomoaki Honma vs. The Great-O-Khan
Tomohiro Ishii & YOH vs. Dick Togo & SHO
Toru Yano & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Minoru Suzuki & Taichi
Togi Makabe & Kosei Fujita vs. TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI
The participants for this year’s Best of the Super Juniors 27 tournament have been announced
This year’s format is a dramatic change from last year’s tournament. Instead of two blocks and twenty entrants, this year there is only one block with ten wrestlers. The top two wrestlers who score the most points will meet each other in the finals.
Most of this year’s participants are NJPW regulars. Robbie Eagles, who has not appeared on a New Japan Pro Wrestling card since the COVID-19 pandemic, will make his return on this tour. Master Wato, who returned from excursion earlier this year, will make his Best of the Super Juniors debut.
The ten participants for this year’s tournament include:
Ryusuke Taguchi
Master Wato
SHO
Robbie Eagles
Hiromu Takahashi
BUSHI
El Desperado
Yoshinobu Kanemaru
DOUKI
Taiji Ishimori
The finals will take place on December 11 at Nippon Budokan.
The tournament, which usually runs in May, will instead run in conjunction with this year’s World Tag League. The original tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One half of the champions, SHO, appeared at today’s press conference and officially vacated the titles, saying that YOH is unlikely to come back before the end of the year due to a knee injury. SHO had said they would be vacating the titles in a post-match interview at Summer Struggle in Jingu.
As a result, a four team round robin tournament will start on September 3. The two teams who score the most points will face off in the finals of the tournament on September 11.
The following teams will compete:
Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
SHO and YOH had held the titles for 239 days, defeating El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori at Wrestle Kingdom 14 on January 5, their second reign as champions. The duo had successfully defended the title twice before vacating.
NJPW returned to Korakuen Hall this morning for the latest in the Super Jr. Tag League tournament. This morning’s main event featured the Birds of Prey, Will Ospreay and Robbie Eagles, taking on the team of Rocky Romero and Ryusuke Taguchi.
Prelim matches:
Karl Fredericks defeated Yota Tsuji
– Fredericks submitted Tsuji with a half Boston crab.
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI and SANADA defeated Taichi, DOUKI, Zack Sabre Jr. and Minoru Suzuki
– Naito pinned DOUKI with the Destino.
Jay White, Gedo, Yujiro Takahashi and KENTA defeated Toa Henare, Tomoaki Honma, Tomohiro Ishii and Hirooki Goto
Uemura fended off Desperado and Kanemaru early on, avoiding a beat down on the outside. Of course, nothing will stop them from doing spots on the outside, so Kanemaru raked him in the eyes and took him into the crowd, beating him with chairs. They spend a long time working on Uemura. Tiger Mask came in for the save, but Desperado took down Tiger Mask and tore his mask up badly, revealing much of his face.
Tiger Mask gets a second mask and is tagged in, going after Kanemaru’s arm. Desperado breaks it up and goes after his mask again, but the referee sends him away. Kanemaru used the referee and shoved him into Tiger Mask. Desperado tagged in and remains on offense. Tiger Mask cut him off and hit the Tiger Bomb as Uemura is tagged in again.
Uemura landed a dropkick on Desperado as Tiger Mask comes back in, hitting a butterfly suplex on Desperado. Uemura sinks in the Boston crab, but Kanemaru comes back with a dropkick. Uemura is able to get it in again, but Desperado escapes and cuts off Uemura with a spinebuster.
Desperado then applied the stretch muffler as the referee is distracted yet again as Kanemaru put a chair in the ring, which somehow distracted the referee long enough for Kanemaru to mist Tiger Mask on the outside. Uemura ended up tapping out in the ring.
This was fine, but man the referees are so dumb in this promotion, it’s getting to the point where it’s just frustrating. Uemura looked good here though, and the crowd was into him trying to get that win.
ELP & Taiji Ishimori defeated TJP & Clark Connors
Connors and TJP immediately went on the offensive, taking both men out to the floor. Heels soon gain control, however, and work on TJP, doing things like backrakes and pulling out armpit hair (seriously). TJP took out ELP with a tornado DDT and tagged in Connors, who is immediately taken out with a big boot. Ishimori puts him in a tree of woe position and puts his foot on Connor’s netherregions.
Connors fired back with a powerslam and tagged in TJP, who made a great comeback taking out both men. He did a cool spot where he tied up ELP’s legs, put Ishimori in an abdominal stretch then hit a northern lights suplex into a pin on Ishimori for a cool two count.
Connors is tagged in again, sinking in a Boston crab on ELP. TJP took down Ishimori with a submission, but Ishimori countered and threw TJP into Connors to break it up. Ishimori stomped Connors as he was in midair, allowing ELP to hit a big splash off the top rope for the win. Good stuff.
SHO & YOH defeated Volador Jr. & Titan
SHO and Volador has a good exchange to start things off. Titan and YOH followed. Titan took out YOH and hit what I would call a rolling Sasuke special to the floor, but missed YOH. YOH whipped him into the corner and tagged in SHO as they started work attacking Titan’s leg. Titan cut them off and tagged in Volador who went after both SHO and YOH, taking them to the outside and hitting stereo tope con hilos.
Volador and SHO strike each other as they tag out to their partners. Titan hit a big clothesline to the corner. He went for a double stomp, but landed on his bad knee. SHO and YOH kept working on him until Volador Jr. wiped out SHO with a big tope suicida.
Titan hit the la mistica and rolled up YOH for a near fall. YOH landed some uppercuts, landed a superkick and hit a big German suplex for another near fall. A dragon suplex sealed things up for SHO & YOH. Really fun match.
Taguchi and Romero initially were in control, but things quickly went in the Birds of Prey’s favor as they took both men out with double crossbodys to the floor. The Korakuen Hall crowd actually sang happy birthday to Romero as Will Ospreay chopped him.
Both Ospreay and Eagles worked over Romero as they went for a double superplex. Romero fought them off as he fell to the floor and tagged in Taguchi, who hit everyone with hip attacks. Eagles tried to cut off Taguchi with a backpack, but then fell to a Taguchi dropkick.
Ospreay and Romero are in as they exchange some lightning quick offense. Eagles was tagged back in, but Romero quickly took him down and hit a dropkick off the top rope, hitting Eagles who was draped on the middle rope. Ospreay saved Eagles as the two ran wild on both Taguchi and Romero.Ospreay hit a shooting star press, but Taguchi broke it up.
Eagles took Taguchi to the floor as Ospreay went for a superkick and the stormbreaker, but Romero countered with a hurricanrana for a near fall. Romero went for a sliced bread, but Ospreay went for the stormfront. Romero escaped as Taguchi came in and a double hip attack.
Taguchi back body dropped Eagles to the floor as Romero picked up steam against Ospreay. He planted Ospreay on the floor and sunk in an armbar. Ospreay lifted and powerbombed Romero in response. Ospreay started to strike, but Romero fired back with some of his own. Ospreay got the better of it, striking Romero with kicks. Romero, however, walked right into the backpack by Eagles and Ospreay hit the Oscutter.
Taguchi broke up the pin, but Eagles subdued him as Ospreay struck the hidden blade on Romero then pinned with the stormbreaker. This was excellent, absolutely the best match on the show. If Eagles & Ospreay teamed more during 2019 they’d be top contenders for tag team of the year, they have off the charts chemistry.
Eagles took the mic and thanked everyone for supporting them. They have two more points on the board and have one final match on Friday. Ospreay asked the crowd in Japanese if they were having fun. He thanked Romero and Taguchi. He promised that the Birds of Prey would be the tag team tournament winners.
In the post-match interview backstage, BUSHI walked up to Will Ospreay and challenged him to an IWGP Jr. title match. Ospreay accepted, but said he would do it after Power Struggle when they win the Super Junior Tag League tournament.
Jushin Thunder Liger’s first retirement match has been announced.
New Japan Pro Wrestling held a Wrestle Kingdom 14 press conference this morning and announced Liger’s first retirement match that will take place on January 4. He will team with Tatsumi Fujinami (marking his first appearance in the promotion since 2008), The Great Sasuke and Tiger Mask to take on the team of Naoki Sano, Shinjiro Otani, Tatsuhito Takaiwa and Ryusuke Taguchi.
El Samurai will be cornering Liger’s team, while Kuniaki Kobayashi will be cornering Sano’s team.
Liger has feuded with many of the wrestlers taking part in the match. His debut match under the Jushin Thunder Liger gimmick was a victory over Kobayashi. His match against Sano on January 31, 1990 won Match of the Year in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
NJPW also confirmed that a second retirement match will take on January 5. The retirement ceremony will take place on January 6 at New Year Dash at Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.
A Six-Man Tag Team title defense is now set for Monday’s New Japan Road show.
NJPW has announced that NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Ryusuke Taguchi will defend their titles against Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomoaki Honma & YOSHI-HASHI at the October 7 event.
The match was originally announced as being non-title, but it was made a title match after Tanahashi, Honma & YOSHI-HASHI defeated the champions in non-title action at Friday’s New Japan Road show.
Makabe, Yano & Taguchi have held the NEVER Six-Man Tag Team titles since January.
Tanahashi is having a series of four matches to mark the 20th anniversary of his debut. The Six-Man Tag Team title match will be the third in that series. The fourth match will take place at King of Pro Wrestling on October 14, with Tanahashi & Honma facing Makabe & Yano.
Monday’s New Japan Road show will air live on New Japan World with Japanese commentary. It’s taking place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and will begin at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time. Here’s the updated card for it:
Kazuchika Okada & Kota Ibushi vs. SANADA & EVIL
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Ryusuke Taguchi defending against Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomoaki Honma & YOSHI-HASHI
NJPW continued their Road to Destruction tour today with their third consecutive night in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
The show featured the continuation of the round-robin Young Lion Cup tournament, along with a collection of tag matches previewing the key bouts on the Destruction shows later in the tour.
Here are full results and match recaps:
YOUNG LION CUP MATCH: ALEX COUGHLIN DEFEATED MICHAEL RICHARDS
Coughlin scored early with some chops and stomps in the corner. He used a side headlock takeover. Richards used a headscissors to escape the hold. Coughlin bridged out of the headscissors and tried for a crab, but Richards forced a quick break.
Richards hit a lariat. Coughlin came back with a crab. Richards again forced a rope break. Coughlin used a bridging Indian deathlock, and Richards tapped out. This was the least spectacular of the Young Lion Cup matches so far. It was technically sound, but not very exciting.
YOUNG LION CUP MATCH: KARL FREDERICKS DEFEATED CLARK CONNORS
Fredericks missed with a dropkick, giving Connors an opening to try for a full crab. Fredericks fought it off. Connors hit some chops in the corner. Fredericks came back with uppercut forearms.
Connors went to work on the taped right arm of Fredericks. Fredericks hit a dropkick. Fredericks tried a body slam twice, but Connors fought it off. Connors hit a jawbreaker, but Fredericks came back with a shotgun dropkick, then a splash in the corner.
Connors hit a spear out of the corner. They exchanged chops and uppercuts. Fredericks hit a spinebuster, then used a single-leg crab. Connors tapped out.
Kojima and Tenzan traded Mongolian chops. Umino and Narita tagged in and had a striking battle. Narita did not go down after two shoulder tackle attempts, then scored a knockdown on Umino on his first shoulder tackle.
Umino hit a back elbow and a dropkick. Uemura and Tsuji tagged in. Tsuji hit a chop, and Uemura responded with a double-leg takedown. Tsuji worked a side headlock. Uemura hit a shoulder tackle and a back elbow, and his team began working over Tsuji.
Tenzan hit Tsuji with headbutts, then choked him on the mat. Umino hit a shoulder tackle, then a series of elbow strikes. Tsuji hit a body slam, then tagged Kojima. Kojima hit Umino with a DDT, then hit machine gun chops in the corner.
Kojima hit a top rope elbow for a nearfall. Umino came back with a dropkick off the middle rope, then tagged Tenzan. Tenzan hit Kojima with chops, then hit a brainbuster for a two count.
Kojima and Tenzan traded strikes. Kojima hit a Koji Cutter, into a double down. Narita and Uemura tagged in. Uemura used a slam for a one count. Uemura tried for a double underhook suplex, but Narita blocked it, then hit a backdrop.
Umino jumped in and hit Narita with a dropkick. Narita hit a belly-to-belly on Umino. The match broke down, and four guys brawled to the floor, leaving Narita and Uemura the legal men. Narita hit an overhead belly-to-belly into a bridge and got the pin.
They started off with a wild brawl, with everyone jumping in. Honma hit Yujiro with a kokeshi, but missed one on Tonga. YH hit a dropkick through the ropes to Jado. Loa jumped YH on the floor, and everyone brawled around ringside.
Back inside, Bullet Club worked YH over. Yujiro hit him with a leg drop for a nearfall, then hit some forearm strikes from the mount. Loa hit a powerslam for a nearfall. Tonga teased a brainbuster, but YH escaped, then made a tag to Ishii.
Ishii ran wild, hitting shoulder tackles, a dropkick, and a powerslam. Tonga and Loa cut him off. Tonga hit a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Tonga blocked a lariat, then hit a Tongan Twist. Loa tagged in and covered Ishii for a two count.
Loa tried for a suplex on Ishii, but Ishii reversed it into a brainbuster. Ishii tagged Honma. Honma hit Loa with strikes, a bulldog, a kokeshi, then a pair of lariats. Loa cut him off with a boot to the gut.
Jado hit Honma with a kendo stick, then Loa hit Apesh*t for the pin. This was a weak match except when Ishii was in.
EL PHANTASMO, TAIJI ISHIMORI & BAD LUCK FALE DEFEATED WILL OSPREAY, ROBBIE EAGLES & TOA HENARE
Eagles and Ishimori kicked things off. Eagles went for the Miller Special immediately, but Ishimori reached the ropes. Eagles hit a hurricanrana, then a wheel kick. Ospreay and Eagles used a series of quick tags, working over Ishimori’s left arm. Eagles hit a double stomp off the top rope while Ospreay held the arm.
Henare tagged in. He hit a shoulder tackle for a two count. He tried for a suplex, but Ishimori slipped out and raked Henare’s eyes. Bullet Club worked Henare over. Each member tried a back rake off the top rope. ELP and Ishimori hit theirs, but Henare crotched Fale on his attempt.
Henare managed a tag to Ospreay. Ospreay and Eagles hit some tandem offense, including stereo kicks in the corner. Ospreay hit a standing shooting star press for a nearfall. They teased a double Spanish Fly, but ELP blocked it.
ELP tried to powerbomb Ospreay off the top rope, but Ospreay landed on his feet. Ospreay tried a wall flip, but ELP hit him with an airplane spin neckbreaker.
Henare and Fale got tags. Henare teased a Samoan drop on Fale, but Ishimori made the save. Ishimori hit double knees in the corner. Fale hit a splash in the corner, then hit a splash on the mat. He made a cover, but Ospreay and Eagles saved.
Ospreay and Eagles teased stereo planchas, but Ishimori and ELP avoided them. With those four out on the floor, Henare and Fale were left the legal men.
Henare managed a shoulder tackle for a nearfall. He ran to the corner, but ELP grabbed his ankle from the floor. Fale hit a splash in the corner, then hit The Grenade to get the win.
ELP and Ishimori taunted Eagles and Ospreay after the match. Ospreay and Eagles teased getting back into the ring to attack, but Fale stood in their way as a bodyguard for ELP and Ishimori.
Shingo and Goto started off exchanging hard chops. BUSHI tried to jump in for a double team, but Goto hit him with a Saito suplex. Everyone brawled on the outside. Okada teased hitting a tombstone on SANADA on the floor, but SANADA escaped. Okada sent him into the barricade.
BUSHI and Romero ended up the legal men. They traded chops. Romero got the best of the exchange, then tagged Okada. Okada hit a slam, then used a slingshot senton for a one count. Romero and Okada traded tags, working over BUSHI.
BUSHI came back with a hurricanrana on Okada, then tagged SANADA. SANADA hit a pescado on Okada. He tried for a back suplex, but Okada blocked it. Okada tried for an air raid crash, but SANADA avoided it. Okada hit a flapjack, then tagged Goto.
SANADA hit Goto with a dropkick off the middle rope, then tagged Shingo. Shingo and Goto traded forearms. They hit simultaneous lariats. Shingo hit a jab, but Goto caught him in an ushigoroshi.
Romero tagged in and hit Shingo with forever clotheslines, then used a tornado DDT for a two count. LIJ tripled up on Romero. Shingo used a side slam for a nearfall, with Okada and Goto making the save.
Everyone jumped in. Goto hit Shingo with a lariat. SANADA hit a dropkick to Goto’s legs. Okada went for a Rainmaker on SANADA. SANADA tried Skull End. Okada missed a dropkick. SANADA hit Okada with a dropkick. Romero hit a standing sliced bread on Shingo for a nearfall.
Romero tried for sliced bread again, but Shingo blocked it, then hit a pop-up DVD. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber, then hit Made in Japan on Romero for the pin.
TETSUYA NAITO & EVIL DEFEATED JAY WHITE & CHASE OWENS
Owens attacked EVIL before the bell, and they rolled outside. Naito attacked White with strikes, and White rolled outside, then tagged Owens. Naito tagged EVIL. EVIL hit a series of chops in the corner. He hit the ropes, but Gedo tripped him from the floor.
All four fought around ringside. Back in the ring, Owens hit a back elbow for a one count. EVIL came back with a fisherman buster, then both tagged out.
Naito choked White on the mat. He hit a neckbreaker, then used a dropkick to the back for a nearfall. Naito hit a series of forearms in the corner. White hit a DDT, then tagged Owens. Owens missed a running knee, and Naito hit him with a neckbreaker.
EVIL got a tag. Naito hit Owens with a dropkick. White jumped in to save Owens and sent Naito to the floor. White hit a Blade Buster on EVIL, and Owens followed up with a running knee for a two count.
Owens went for a package piledriver, but EVIL blocked it. Naito jumped in and hit an enzuigiri. White tried to stop Naito. He teased a Blade Runner, but Naito sent him to the floor after a flying headscissors. EVIL hit Owens with a headbutt and a lariat for a nearfall, then used the Scorpion Deathlock for the submission.
White attacked Naito on the floor after the bell. He whipped him into the barricade, then choked him before leaving with Naito’s title belt.
Suzuki attacked Liger at the commentary desk on his way to the ring. He dragged Liger inside the ring, then hit him with the Gotch-style piledriver. Tanahashi and Taguchi ran out to make the save. Taguchi hit a plancha on Suzuki, while Tana and Sabre started off the match inside.
Tana hit a dropkick to Sabre’s left leg, then hit a chop block. Taguchi tagged in and he and Tana hit tandem hip attacks on Sabre. Taguchi kept up the attack on Sabre’s left leg with stomps. Suzuki cut Taguchi off, applying an armbar over the ropes. Suzuki pulled Taguchi to the floor, then proceeded to take the fight into the crowd.
Suzuki hit Taguchi with a chair. Sabre and Tanahashi fought into the crowd, and Sabre used an armbar. After a countout tease, Sabre and Suzuki used a variety of holds to ground Taguchi in the ring. Suzuki used a crossface, while Sabre wrenched on Taguchi’s legs.
Taguchi and Suzuki ended up the legal men. Suzuki hit a hard forearm to the side of Taguchi’s neck. Sabre got a tag and used a PK on Taguchi’s butt. Suzuki applied an ankle lock. Tana came in for the save, but Suzuki got him in a rear naked choke, then tossed him outside.
Sabre and Suzuki continued working Taguchi over in their corner. Taguchi finally made a comeback, hitting Suzuki and Sabre with hip attacks. Tana got a tag. He hit Suzuki with a somersault senton. Suzuki cut him off with a rear naked choke, then tagged Sabre.
Sabre hit Tana with uppercuts. They traded cobra twists. Sabre teased a Zack Driver, but Tana hit him with Twist and Shout, then used a slingblade for a two count. Tana went up top while Suzuki and Taguchi fought to the floor.
Tana went for a High Fly Flow, but Sabre got his knees up. Suzuki and Sabre used armbars on both of Tana’s arms, and Taguchi jumped in for the save. Taguchi and Suzuki rolled outside.
Sabre went for a PK. Tana caught it, then hit a dragon screw before tagging Taguchi. Taguchi hit Sabre with four hip attacks, earning a nearfall.
Taguchi went for Dodon, but Sabre pulled him into a cross armbreaker. Taguchi rolled through into an ankle lock. Sabre reversed into his own ankle lock, but Taguchi rolled through that back to an ankle lock. Sabre rolled to the ropes for a break.
Taguchi went for a hip attack. Sabre caught him with a crucifix. Tana saved. Suzuki jumped in and put Taguchi in a sleeper while Sabre and Tana fought. Sabre hit Tana with a Zack Driver, then hit Taguchi with a Zack Driver for the pin.
After the bell, Sabre used a wristlock on Tanahashi. Uemura and Tsuji tried to make the save, but Suzuki fought them off. Sabre then stomped on Tana’s arms.
Sabre cut a promo on Tanahashi and Boris Johnson after the match. He said Tanahashi is a joke, the Ace is dead, and long live the new Prime Minister of the UK, Zack Sabre Jr.
Suzuki grabbed the mic and said Suzuki-gun is ichiban, then attacked Uemura with a chair for good measure.
On Wednesday night, it was announced that CMLL’s Caristico and NJPW’s Ryusuke Taguchi and Taiji Ishimori will be taking part in the tournament. TJP, Dragon Lee, and SHO are the other three entrants that have been officially confirmed thus far.
There will be 16 wrestlers in the tournament. Though they’ve yet to be officially announced, Will Ospreay, El Phantasmo, and YOH have been featured on advertising for the Super J-Cup.
Jushin Thunder Liger, who NJPW has announced is the producer of the Super J-Cup, won’t be an entrant in the tournament but will be wrestling on all three nights.
The first round of the Super J-Cup will take place at the Temple Theater in Tacoma, Washington on Thursday, August 22. The tournament will continue at the San Francisco State University Student Life Event Center in San Francisco, California on Saturday, August 24. It will then conclude at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California on Sunday, August 25.
Okayama was home to the finals of the B Block for this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
Conveniently, the main event of this morning’s show determines the winner of the block. Either Will Ospreay or Ryusuke Taguchi will face off against A Block winner Shingo Takagi on 6/5 at Sumo Hall. The winner of that match will likely challenge Dragon Lee for the IWGP Jr. title at Dominion this weekend.
Here are prelim results from tonight’s show. Taiji Ishimori is suffering from a shoulder injury, so he is out of tonight’s prelims:
– SHO and Jonathan Gresham defeated Tiger Mask and Yuya Uemura
SHO submitted Uemura with a Boston crab.
– Juice Robinson and Toa Henare defeated Marty Scurll and Brody King
Robinson pinned King following the Pulp Friction.
– Taichi and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Tomohiro Ishii and Shota Umino
Kanemaru defeated Umino with the Deep Impact DDT. Taichi jumped Ishii after the match and cut a short promo, standing over him.
– Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi defeated Dragon Lee and Titan
Takagi pinned Titan with the Last of the Dragon.
Block B matches:
BUSHI defeated Ren Narita
BUSHI dominated the match early, grinding Narita to the ground. Narita tried for the overhead belly-to-belly, but BUSHI blocked it. Narita instead worked for the cloverleaf and got it. BUSHI made it to the ropes, and fought back after Narita tried for the overhead again.
BUSHI applies a Boston Crab of his own. Narita tries to make it to the ropes, but BUSHI drags him back in the middle. BUSHI then hits the MX and that is it, Narita ends the tournament with zero wins. A solid bout.
Bandido defeated Rocky Romero
The two started off with some simple offense. Romero went for the armbar, but Bandido quickly made it to the ropes. Romero worked over the arm, dropping the knee on the injured arm. Bandido regains control for a bit, but Romero fights back, taking him down with a clothesline.
Bandido drops Romero on his knee then launches himself in the air, planting Romero with a one man spanish fly. He goes for the 21 plex and connects, giving him one final win. This was a fun match.
YOH defeated Robbie Eagles
After a couple of minutes of action, YOH wiped out Eagles on the outside with a dive. Eagles made a comeback, dropkicking YOH in his knee. Eagles continues to work on YOH’s knees, but YOH comes back with a dragon screw. Eagles is undeterred, taking YOH to the corner and hitting running knees for a nearfall.
The two countered one another until YOH attacked, blocking a kick and hitting a dragon suplex for the win. This ended kind of suddenly, but this was a nice, fast-paced match.
El Phantasmo defeated DOUKI
DOUKI charged at ELP before the bell, but ELP threw a chair at DOUKI as he went for a suicide dive. ELP then flew off the ring to the floor, attacking DOUKI and choking him with his shirt. After some time in the ring, ELP falls to the floor and DOUKI responds by hitting a suicide dive of his own, then hit a giant senton that took both him and ELP out.
After trading some offense back in the ring, ELP kicked DOUKI as he was on the top rope and looked like he was going for a springboard hurricanrana, but DOUKI instead landed on his throat on the ropes, falling to the floor. ELP threw him back in the ring and hit a big splash for a nearfall.
ELP hit the airplane spin, but DOUKI kicked out. ELP ripped off DOUKI’s face mask then hit the VR2 for the win. This was pretty wild, another good match.
Will Ospreay defeated Ryusuke Taguchi to win the B Block
Things start off pretty slow, just some back and forth teasing, some slow work. Ospreay seems to have control early, working over Taguchi with a cloverleaf. Taguchi finally comes alive with a hip attack then the three amigos. Ospreay blocked the third suplex, but Taguchi sent him to the outside then flung off with a crossbody to the floor.
Ospreay mounted a comeback, taking out Taguchi on the outside with a corkscrew press. The two exchanged some great, fast-paced offense, ending when Taguchi with another hip attack. Ospreay went for and Ozcutter but Taguchi blocked it and hit Ospreay low, then followed with a tiger suplex into a bridge.
Ospreay hit a superkick then tried for the stormbreaker but Taguchi countered, fell to the floor and grabbed the leg for an ankle lock. Ospreay somehow escaped then countered with a power bomb. Ospreay hit the Robinson Special and went for the Ozcutter but Taguchi grabbed the ankle lock then hit the dodon for a nearfall. Taguchi continues to hold on with the ankle lock, but Ospreay escapes and hits a spanish fly.
Going to the top rope, Ospreay hit a shooting star press but Taguchi kicked out. Ospreay tried for the Oscutter again but Taguchi countered with a backslide. Ospreay escaped, cut off Taguchi then hit the stormbreaker for the win. This was one hell of a match, Taguchi kept up with Ospreay’s pace and they had an excellent bout filled with some great drama.
Will Ospreay is the winner of the B Block. This means he will face the winner of the A Block, Shingo Takagi, this Wednesday at the Best of the Super Juniors finals.
Shingo Takagi came out after the match and congratulated Ospreay on the win. He said Ospreay was strong, but he was stronger.
Ospreay took the mic and said he’s not scared of Shingo. He’s scared of one thing, failure. He says it’s the worst year of his personal life but he is happy when he enters the ring. He thinks with his heart because he loves this, he loves being a junior heavyweight. He is going to be the man to beat his streak. He’s not going to just beat him, he is going to slay the dragon.
Takagi leaves as Ospreay reiterates what he said earlier. Will Ospreay, Shingo Takagi, he says he will win Best of the Super Juniors.
B Block action began today in the 26th Best of the Super Juniors tournament, with NJPW running their second consecutive night in Miyagi.
The Sendai Sunplaza Hall hosted a solid night of action. Nothing on night two could touch the Shingo Takagi vs. SHO battle from night one, but the card as a whole delivered more than you likely expected at first glance.
YOH found himself in the main event the night after his tag team partner stole the show. YOH is perhaps better than SHO in the ring, but lacks a certain charisma or intangible that his partner has. That’s a real shame, because he really is something special as a worker.
Here are full results and recaps from Tuesday’s show:
TAKA MICHINOKU, YOSHINOBU KANEMARU & TAICHI DEFEATED JONATHAN GRESHAM, TIGER MASK IV & YOTA TSUJI
Gresham and TAKA started the show with some mat work. The Suzuki-gun squad went to work on Gresham’s left hand. Gresham made his own comeback, hitting Kanemaru with a cutter before tagging in Tiger.
Tiger hit a high cross, but was immediately cut off. He also made his own comeback and hit a Tiger Driver. Tsuji and Taichi tagged in. Tsuji hit a powerslam. He went for a crab, but Taichi fought him off.
Taichi took his pants off, and Tsuji rolled him up for a near fall. Taichi put on a stretch plum, and Tsuji tapped out.
After the bell, Kanemaru ripped off Tiger’s mask, while Taichi and TAKA held Tsuji and Gresham in submission holds. The match never got out of first gear and was not as good as most NJPW openers.
DRAGON LEE & JUICE ROBINSON DEFEATED SHO & SHOTA UMINO
SHO and Lee began, trading holds. SHO had his left shoulder taped up. Umino and Juice tagged in, and Umino aggressively went after Juice. Juice cut him off, then hit a cannonball and a senton.
Juice and Lee isolated Umino in their corner and focused their attack on his left arm. Umino escaped a double ax handle, pushing Lee in the way. He managed to tag SHO, and SHO and Lee traded strikes.
Lee and SHO exchanged big knee strikes. SHO landed on his feet out of a snap German, then hit a lariat. Both made tags. Juice missed a senton on Umino, who followed up with a back elbow. Umino ducked the Left Hand of God and hit a vertical suplex.
Juice hit a flapjack and made a cover, but SHO broke up the pinfall. SHO and Lee fought to the floor. Juice hit a lariat for a near fall, then used a Tenzan-style crab for the submission.
Lee and SHO continued to brawl after the bell, and their fight spilled into the crowd. They were finally pulled apart, with neither gaining a clear advantage. Good intensity between Lee and SHO throughout here, but just an average match.
MARTY SCURLL & BRODY KING DEFEATED TAIJI ISHIMORI & GEDO
Scurll and Ishimori started out with an intricate sequence, while King and Gedo brawled on the outside. Scurll was getting the best of the exchange — until Gedo jumped in to choke him with a towel, cutting him off.
Ishimori and Gedo worked like a totally old school heel tag team here. They used eye rakes, kept Scurll isolated in their corner, cheated behind the ref’s back, all building anticipation for the big tag to King.
King never got a legal tag, but he jumped in and ran wild. He hit a springboard double arm drag and a double senton, allowing Scurll time to recover. Scurll hit Black Plague on Gedo for the pin. A fun little match.
TETSUYA NAITO & SHINGO TAKAGI DEFEATED TITAN & TOA HENARE
Titan hit a springboard arm drag on Shingo, who rolled outside. Shingo grabbed a chair, but didn’t use it. Henare and Naito made tags. Naito and Shingo tried to double up on Henare. Henare got some shine briefly, but was quickly cut off.
Naito and Shingo worked Henare over. Henare blocked a neckbreaker from Naito, and both tagged out. Shingo and Titan went back and forth, then Shingo hit a DVD into a double down.
Naito and Henare tagged back in, and Shingo jumped in for an assist. Naito hit some trademark spots, including the combinacion de cabron and a one-legged dropkick. Shingo and Titan brawled on the outside, while Naito hit a flying forearm and a Destino on Henare to win the match. This was quick.
B BLOCK MATCH: DOUKI DEFEATED REN NARITA
Narita showed off some impressive amateur moves, out-wrestling Douki early on. Douki low-bridged Narita to the floor, then used a chair shot to take control of the match.
Douki hit a double stomp and methodically worked over Narita. Narita went for a double underhook belly-to-belly, but Douki blocked it and applied a modified triangle choke. Narita reached the bottom rope with his feet, forcing a break.
Narita hit a perfect dropkick. He followed with a pair of shoulder tackles and hit a vertical suplex for a two count. Narita used a modified Scorpion Deathlock, but Douki reached the ropes. Narita hit a big belly-to-belly, but could not bridge out of it. He covered, but Douki kicked out at two.
Douki hit a lariat. Narita used a roll-up and an inside cradle for two near falls. Douki hit a sloppy springboard DDT, then used his Suplex de La Luna for the pin.
After the match, Douki attacked Narita with a pipe. Narita was impressive in defeat. We obviously have a very small sample size, but Douki has not been impressive so far.
B BLOCK MATCH: ROBBIE EAGLES DEFEATED ROCKY ROMERO
They came out firing strikes. Rocky hit a headscissors, and Eagles rolled outside. Rocky teased a dive, but slid out to the floor while Eagles jumped back in. Eagles went for a suicide dive, but Rocky hit him with a dropkick.
Back in the ring, Rocky used an octopus hold, then hit a dropkick. Eagles went after Rocky’s left leg. He went for a figure four, but Rocky kicked him off. Eagles hit a chop block, then a lariat to the back of the head for a two count.
Eagles continued to target the left leg with kicks. He hit a bridging fall-away slam for a two count. Eagles hit double knees in the corner, a 619 to the legs, then again hit double knees in the corner for a near fall.
Rocky caught a kick and hit a slap to the face. He followed with a tornado DDT. Rocky hit a series of chops, then used a flying bodyscissors to transition to an armbar. Eagles reached the ropes, forcing a break.
They exchanged kicks. Rocky hit his forever clotheslines, but his knee gave out, allowing Eagles to hit a springboard dropkick to the leg. Eagles used a Ron Miller Special submission, but Rocky made it to the ropes.
Eagles hit an enzuigiri, then used a Pulse Drop for a near fall. Rocky flipped out of a backpack stunner, and used a magistral cradle for a two count. Eagles bridged out of another cover. Rocky hit a standing Sliced Bread for a near fall.
Rocky hit a rewind kick. Eagles caught another kick, and he used a backpack stunner for a two count. Eagles hit a 450 to Rocky’s leg, then used the Ron Miller for the submission. Good match.
B BLOCK MATCH: EL PHANTASMO DEFEATED BANDIDO
They used a really nice opening sequence, ending with both kipping up out of handstands. They used a series of monkey flips and bridges to transition in and out of covers. Bandido got sent outside, and Phantasmo hit a suicide dive, landing in the front row.
Back in the ring, Bandido avoided a charge in the corner. He went for a gorilla press slam, but Phantasmo escaped. Bandido hit a flying headscissors, sending Phantasmo to the floor. Bandido hit a big tope con hilo, then sent Phantasmo back inside.
Bandido went for a springboard crossbody, but Phantasmo hit a dropkick. Phantasmo used an airplane spin neckbreaker out of a torture rack position. They traded Canadian Destroyers, then both collapsed. Phantasmo ended up bleeding from the mouth.
They traded chops, then exchanged strikes. Bandido hit a pop-up cutter for a two count. He used an inverted suplex, then a running knee strike, earning a near fall. Bandido went up top, but Phantasmo cut him off with an enzuigiri. Phantasmo hit a top rope rana, then used a frog splash for a near fall.
Phantasmo used a rope walk, halfway around the ring. Bandido hit a moonsault press for a two count. Phantasmo pulled the referee in Bandido’s way, then hit a thumb to the eye. He then used a modified facebuster to pick up the pin. A good match with some cool moves, but not a blow-away outing.
B BLOCK MATCH: WILL OSPREAY DEFEATED BUSHI
A hot opening sequence ended with BUSHI hitting a flying headscissors over the top to the floor. He continued his attack on Ospreay’s neck with a chair shot. Back inside, BUSHI hit some chops, then used a neckbreaker.
Ospreay came back with a series of chops. BUSHI grounded Ospreay with an STF, and Ospreay forced a break. Ospreay removed BUSHI’s shirt and hit some chops. BUSHI used the shirt to choke Ospreay, but Ospreay responded with a handspring kick.
Ospreay hit a 619, then a dropkick in the corner. Ospreay hit Pip Pip Cheerio, but BUSHI kicked out at two. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick. After a nice series of teases and counters, BUSHI finally hit a swinging neckbreaker.
Ospreay hit a step-up enzuigiri. They traded strikes. Ospreay hit a sit-out powerbomb for a two count. BUSHI avoided an OsCutter, and hit a codebreaker for a near fall. BUSHI went to the second rope for an MX, but Ospreay cut him off.
Ospreay flipped out of a top rope rana, landing on his feet. He followed with a standing Spanish Fly for a two count. Ospreay went for a Storm Breaker, but BUSHI flipped to the apron. BUSHI hit a draping DDT, dropping Ospreay on the apron. They teased a countout, but Ospreay made it back inside at 19.
BUSHI hit a backstabber for a near fall. He went for an MX, but Ospreay caught him with a dropkick. Ospreay hit a Robinson Special, then an inverted Bloody Sunday DDT. He went for an OsCutter, but BUSHI blocked it. Ospreay dodged BUSHI’s black mist, then hit the Hidden Blade. Ospreay then hit a Storm Breaker for the pin. Again, a very good match, but not a great one.
B BLOCK MATCH: RYUSUKE TAGUCHI DEFEATED YOH
They did a nice series of dropdown spots, ending with Taguchi avoiding a low dropkick. Taguchi hit a hip attack. YOH blocked a second with an atomic drop. Taguchi rolled to the ropes, then crotched himself on the bottom rope.
YOH used the Paradise Lock, then broke it with a dropkick. Taguchi rolled to the floor, and YOH hit a rolling senton off the apron. Back inside, YOH used an elbow drop, a knee drop, and a double stomp for three quick near falls.
YOH hit a dragon screw, then continued to attack Taguchi’s legs, as the pace slowed. Taguchi hit a springboard hip attack, rolled through a sunset flip, and hit a springboard plancha. Taguchi hit a hip attack off the apron, sending YOH into the front row.
Back inside, Taguchi went for his rolling suplexes. YOH blocked the third, and he used an inside cradle for a two count. YOH hit a neckbreaker, then a flying forearm. YOH fought for a dragon suplex, but had to settle for a gutwrench German for a near fall.
YOH went for a superplex. Taguchi fought him off, then hit a second rope hip attack. Taguchi went for a Bomaye, but YOH rolled through into a half crab. That was awesome. YOH again focused on attacking the legs, using a figure four. Taguchi reversed the hold, then reached the ropes.
They traded cradles for near falls. Taguchi went for Dodon, but YOH rolled through. Taguchi got two quick near falls. Taguchi hit an enzuigiri, then YOH hit a thrust kick into a double down. They got back to their feet, and exchanged strikes.
YOH ate a hip attack. He attempted to full himself up by the bottom rope but Taguchi caught him coming in. Taguchi used an ankle lock to set up a Tiger Suplex for a near fall. YOH went for an enzuigiri, but Taguchi caught him. Taguchi hit Dodon for a near fall. Taguchi then hit a modified Dodon for the pin.
NJPW continued their Wrestling Dontaku tour today in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
The show was well-paced and easy to watch, but featured little in the way of must-see matches.
The undercard saw the continuation of some feuds, the highlight being the 10-man tag.
In a late switch, Rocky Romero’s spot in the 10-man was taken by Kota Ibushi. Ibushi’s team faced off against Tetsuya Naito’s LIJ squad. The issues between Ibushi/Naito, which have produced a series of classic matches, look to be continuing.
Naito challenged Ibushi at the conclusion of Saturday’s show, which led to the change in today’s card. Ibushi will be slotted in tags against Naito for the remainder of the tour as well.
The Young Lion team worked over Honma at the outset. Nagata tagged in and reversed his team’s fortunes. Kojima saw some action and used a half crab on Uemura, but Tsuji broke it up with chops.
Honma tagged back in and hit a kokeshi. Nagata used a full crab on Uemura, who reached the ropes. Uemura hit a dropkick, and Narita tagged in. I’ve been impressed with Narita on this tour. He hit a belly-to-belly on Nagata for a near fall. Nagata hit his own belly-to-belly and tagged Kojima.
Kojima hit machine gun chops on Narita. He went for his top rope elbow, but Tsuji cut him off. Tsuji, Narita and Uemura hit a triple dropkick on Kojima, which was awesome. It got a nice reaction.
Tsuji used a full crab on Kojima, but Honma broke it up. Tsuji hit Honma with a spear, but Kojima recovered and hit a Koji Cutter for a near fall. He followed with a lariat for the pin. A good opener.
MINORU SUZUKI, YOSHINOBU KANEMARU & EL DESPERADO DEFEATED JUSHIN LIGER, TIGER MASK IV & SHOTA UMINO
They continued the storyline that kicked off on Saturday, with Suzuki going after Liger. Suzuki-gun jumped their opponents right as the bell sounded, and they focused their assault on Liger.
The match spilled into the crowd, and Suzuki rearranged the chairs in the first few rows, dropping them on Liger. Suzuki also used a triangle over the ropes. Desperado and Kanemaru went for Liger’s mask, but he managed to keep it on.
Liger finally made a tag to Tiger Mask. Tiger ran wild with kicks and knee strikes. He hit Kanemaru with a Tiger Driver, but could not follow up with a cover. Umino and Suzuki tagged in. Umino hit a missile dropkick.
Umino went for a fisherman buster, but Suzuki blocked it. Suzuki locked on a choke, but Liger broke it up. Liger and Suzuki traded strikes, with Suzuki getting the better of the exchange.
Umino picked up a series of near falls off a cradle, a roll-up, and a backslide. Suzuki recovered and hit the Gotch piledriver for the pin.
The match was good, all action. Although the real highlight here was the continuation of the Liger vs. Suzuki issue.
ZACK SABRE JR., TAICHI & TAKA MICHINOKU DEFEATED YOSHI-HASHI, ROCKY ROMERO & TOA HENARE
Aside from the opener, this was the only match on the show without a clear storyline purpose.
Romero started off for his team, and he had his working boots on. Suzuki-gun used some underhanded tactics and turned the match into a brawl. Taichi went after Henare with a chair in the crowd.
Suzuki-gun worked Romero over. YOSHI-HASHI and Sabre got tags, and they had a nice exchange. Sabre gave YOSHI-HASHI a good bit of offense before taking over and working on the left arm.
Henare and Taichi tagged in. Henare hit a spear. Henare missed a charge into the corner. Taichi took his pants off and hit a buzzsaw kick for a two count. Taichi hit a lariat, then used a stretch plum on Henare for the submission.
A crazy match. Great stuff. If you watch one match from this show, make it this one.
EVIL and Ishii started off. They teased their finishers and countered out of them. Okada and SANADA did the same. SHO, YOH, Shingo and BUSHI also did a series of teases and counters of their trademark spots.
Ibushi and Naito entered, and they went about a thousand miles an hour. Ibushi went for a standing moonsault, but Naito got his knees up. YOH ran wild with dragon screws. BUSHI hit a codebreaker. YOH hit a falcon arrow.
The chaos continued as everyone jumped in for a big move.
The finish saw SANADA use a giant swing into the Skull End on YOH, who tapped out.
After the bell, EVIL and Ishii went at it again. Ishii nailed EVIL with a headbutt from the apron.
BAD LUCK FALE & CHASE OWENS DEFEATED JUICE ROBINSON & MIKEY NICHOLLS
This was quick. They tried to tell a story, but the crowd wasn’t that into it. This was the weakest match on the show to this point.
Owens used a backbreaker to break a Juice headlock, while Fale took Nicholls to the floor. Juice hit a full nelson slam into a double down. Fale and Nicholls tagged in. Nicholls dropped Fale with two lariats.
Fale hit a shoulder tackle, then tagged Owens. Owens hit a series of strikes. He used a running knee for a near fall. Juice and Fale jumped in. Juice tried to slam Fale, but he failed. He did connect with a cannonball.
Nicholls hit a sliding lariat and a Mikey Bomb on Owens, but Fale broke up the pinfall. The ref took a bump. Fale hit Nicholls with a Grenade, and Owens used a package piledriver on Nicholls for the pin.
NEVER OPENWEIGHT SIX-MAN TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: TOGI MAKABE, TORU YANO & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI DEFEATED TAMA TONGA, TANGA LOA & HIKULEO TO RETAIN THE TITLES
I have probably missed at least one ref bump and two weapons shots in recapping the action here. This was very silly.
Bullet Club jumped the champs before the bell, and they brawled all around the arena. The crowd was quiet for this. Tonga and Loa doubled up on Yano in the ring, and the crowd started to get into it.
Yano started making a comeback. He untied a turnbuckle pad. Jado cut him off with a kendo stick shot from the floor. Hikuleo sent Yano into the exposed buckle. The challengers continued working over Yano for several minutes.
Yano finally got free and made a tag to Taguchi. Taguchi ran wild with hip attacks. Makabe made a tag, then hit 10 punches in the corner on Tonga. He followed with a northern lights suplex for a two count.
Hikuleo and Loa jumped in to save Tonga. They tripled up on Makabe. Tonga hit a splash. Loa made a cover, but he was not the legal man. Referee Red Shoes made the correct call.
While Hikuleo took the ref, Jado jumped in. He swung the kendo stick, but accidentally hit Tonga. Makabe hit the King Kong knee drop for a near fall.
There were more shenanigans. Hikuleo took the ref again, and Loa jumped in with the kendo stick and hit Makabe. Yano used a chair on Hikuleo from the floor, and Makabe covered for a near fall.
Makabe followed with another knee drop off the top on Hikuleo and picked up the win.
After the match, Makabe laid out Tonga and Loa, while Yano ran off with all of the Guerrillas of Destiny’s titles.
TAIJI ISHIMORI & JAY WHITE DEFEATED HIROOKI GOTO & DRAGON LEE
Ishimori and Lee have fantastic chemistry. They face off on May 3 for Lee’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, and I cannot wait for that match.
Ishimori and Lee started off here, and they had a brief, electric sequence. White and Goto tagged in. White used a side headlock, then dumped Goto over the top rope with a Saito suplex. Goto and Lee ended up whipped into the barricade. Ishimori went for Lee’s mask.
They teased a countout with Goto on the floor. He made it back in at 19, but White immediately sent him back to the floor. White sent Goto into the ring frame and the barricade, targeting his back.
Ishimori tagged in and continued to work on Goto’s back. White tagged back in for more chinlocks. Goto made his own comeback, hitting a double sledge on White and a lariat on Ishimori.
Lee got a tag. He ran wild with dropkicks, hitting White once, and Ishimori three times. Ishimori countered a Desnucado, sitting down for a near fall. The two traded strikes. Ishimori hit La Mistica, then a standing Spanish Fly into a double down.
Goto asked for a tag, but Lee refused, wanting to continue fighting Ishimori. Lee hit a snap German suplex, a poison rana, and a lariat into another double down. This time, both men tagged out.
Goto hit White with a mid kick. He followed with a lariat in the corner, a wheel kick, and a Saito suplex for a two count. Goto went for an ushigoroshi, but White countered with his own Saito suplex.
White used a DVD for a two count. He hit a lariat and went for a Kiwi Krusher, but Lee saved Goto. Ishimori entered to go after Lee. Goto hit a lariat on White, and all four men were down.
Goto and White teased their finishers. White hit a flatliner and followed up with a suplex. Goto blocked a Blade Runner, hit a headbutt, then used an inverted GTR for a near fall.
Goto went for another GTR, but Gedo jumped on the apron for a distraction. White went for the Blade Runner, but Goto hit him with an ushigoroshi. Ishimori jumped in and also ate an ushigoroshi. Lee hit a suicide dive.
Goto went for an ushigoroshi on Gedo, but White hit a low blow, then hit the Blade Runner for the pin. The screwy finish didn’t help things, but this was a good main event.
NJPW has named David Finlay’s replacement in the New Japan Cup.
It was announced last night that Ryusuke Taguchi is replacing Finlay in the single-elimination tournament. Taguchi’s opponent in the first round is Hiroyoshi Tenzan, with them set to face each other in Hyogo on Sunday (March 10).
Finlay was forced out of the New Japan Cup after suffering a left shoulder injury at ROH-NJPW Honor Rising night two on February 23. Finlay tweeted after the injury happened: “Thanks to everyone for all the positive vibes! I did dislocated my shoulder last night but it’s back in now. I’ll see a doctor when I’m home to see what the damage is but hopefully it’s nothing too serious. Thanks again to everyone. See you in the mountains!”
NJPW noted that when Finlay will be able to return to the ring is currently undecided.
This year’s New Japan Cup has 32 participants. It will begin at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo this Friday (March 8) and conclude in Niigata on March 24. The winner of the tournament will challenge for Jay White’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at ROH & NJPW’s G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden on April 6.
